Decree by Sisi Could Lead Egypt to Free Journalist

CAIRO — President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a law on Wednesday allowing him to deport non-Egyptians convicted of crimes to their home countries, a move that could lead to the release of at least one of three journalists from the Al Jazeera English news channel who have been imprisoned for almost a year.

One of the journalists, Peter Greste, a correspondent, is an Australian citizen. Another, Mohamed Fahmy, holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, and a third, Baher Mohamed, is an Egyptian citizen.

The three were convicted in June of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to broadcast false news and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison after a trial that was dismissed as a farce by human rights advocates.

The case has drawn international condemnation and been an embarrassment for the Egyptian government, focusing attention on the plight of thousands of other people swept up by the authorities as part of a crackdown on opponents. Mr. Sisi has repeatedly said that he would have preferred that the journalists had been deported, rather than being brought to trial, leading to speculation that the decree issued Wednesday was intended for that purpose.

The law — one of many issued by Mr. Sisi while Egypt has no elected Parliament — appeared to indicate that any release would follow the final disposition of a case, including the exhausting of any appeals. A spokesman for Mr. Sisi could not immediately comment on whether foreign defendants could also be released during their trials. The law requires the cabinet to approve transfers of convicted people overseas, but the text of the decree, carried in local newspapers, made no mention of whether dual citizens like Mr. Fahmy were eligible for release.

Mr. Fahmy’s family said Wednesday that he did not want to be deported. “He did nothing wrong, and he’s loyal to his country,” said his fiancée, Marwa Omara.

In a separate case, it also remained to be seen whether the law could end the imprisonment of Mohamed Soltan, a dual American-Egyptian citizen who was arrested more than a year ago on charges that included organizing Islamist protests. Mr. Soltan, who is still on trial, has been on a hunger strike for months and is said by his family to be in failing health.